Healthcare
The French health care system will provide free coverage for your health care expenses for the duration of your studies.
French Social Security
Registering to the French health care system is mandatory in France - except if you are a citizen of the European Union and you hold an European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).
The French health care system will provide free coverage for your health care expenses for the duration of your studies.
It’s free of charge.
How to register?
1. Create your account
As soon as you get to France, please sign up online at etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr and create your personal account with the following information:
- Your situation
- Your date of birth
- Your nationality
2. Upload the following documents
- Proof of identity
- Proof of studies (certificate of school registration for the current year)
- Your student VISA
- Your official banking information slip, showing your IBAN number
- Proof of Residency (bill, contract or attestation letter from the owner)
- A full health record
You may be asked for additional documents depending on your country of origin.
ATTENTION: The birth certificate must be translated in French by a sworn translator (otherwise your application will be rejected).
Step by step
- Before obtaining full rights, you’ll get a provisional healthcare certificate, available on your account. This step takes several weeks. It is important to remain vigilant.
Although the provisional healthcare certificate gives you the same rights as a permanent one, it doesn’t give you access to an Ameli account (this is not accessible with a provisional number) and no health insurance card («Carte Vitale») can be created. - Then submit any missing documents in the French social Security system in order to receive your new French social security number (permanent social security number).
- When you receive your permanent French Social Security number, please create your personal account on ameli.fr and apply for your health insurance card («Carte Vitale»).
- From your ameli account you’ll be able to download/print your "Attestation of Healthcare rights" and take an appointment with a doctor to ask him to be your “primary care physician”. Appointments are mainly made on Doctolib website.
- You will always have to advance the expenses until you get the "Carte Vitale".
- GOBELINS needs you to upload your permanent social security certificate on your Ypareo account.
Subscribe to a supplementary health insurance : “Mutuelle”
The supplementary health insurance is a private insurance that will cover the remaining health costs (the costs not covered by the social security). It is strongly recommended.
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Example 1: |
Example 2: Hospitalization |
Most common private insurance for students in France
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